Chief Executive Officer

of each Vocational Education Committee.

3rd June, 2005.

Circular Letter No: F32/05.

Re: Restructured Pay for Principal Officer and Assistant Principal Officer grades in Vocational Education Committees.

Dear Chief Executive Officer,

I am directed by the Minister for Education and Science to refer to the application in the Education sector of the terms of Sustaining Progress and the associated Pay Agreement, and to convey the approval of the Minister for the implementation of the following revised pay rates, contained in the schedule to this Circular Letter, for Principal Officer and Assistant Principal Officer grades in your scheme with effect from 1 June 2005. This Circular Letter has been published on this Department’s website at www.education.ie under Post Primary Division.

The revised pay rates have been introduced as a result of the implementation of:

(a)  The final phase of the pay award under the Benchmarking Agreement. Section 19.19 of Sustaining Progress provided that one quarter of the increases recommended by the Public Service Benchmarking Body would be paid with effect from 1 June 2005.

(b)  Section 14.2 of the Mid-Term Review of Part Two of Sustaining Progress that provides for an increase of 1.5% with effect from 1 June 2005, also.

The payment of the final phase of the increases recommended by the Public Service Benchmarking Body and the payment of the 1.5% increase as provided for by the Sustaining Progress Agreement are dependent, in the case of each organisation and grade, on verification of co-operation with flexibility and ongoing change, satisfactory implementation of the agenda for modernisation, maintenance of stable industrial relations and absence of industrial action in respect of any matters covered by the Sustaining Progress agreement. The Secretary General, in consultation with the Education Sector Performance Verification Group (ESPVG), which carried out an assessment of the extent of progress and co-operation reported by the VEC Partnership Forum, has decided that the level of progress achieved during the period warrants the payment of the relevant pay increase.

Future payments under Sustaining Progress are dependent, in the case of each organisation and grade, on verification of continued co-operation with flexibility and ongoing change, maintenance of stable industrial relations and absence of industrial action in respect of any matters covered by Sustaining Progress. Payment is dependent on verification of satisfactory achievement of targets to be achieved in relation to ongoing change and flexibility. To this end, targets must continue to be put in place to monitor achievements on this issue between the present time and the expiry of the terms of Sustaining Progress and the associated pay agreements to ensure that future increases can be paid.

Calculations to arrive at the pay rates to apply from 1 June 2005

For calculation purposes the final phase increase due under benchmarking has been added to the first and second phase increases of the benchmarking award. The combined total of the increase recommended has been added to the pre-benchmark pay rate as at 1st October 2001. The resulting rates have been increased by the general round increases since that date to give full effect to the benchmarking awards with effect from 1st June 2005.

(The general round increases were 4% w.e.f. 1/10/02, 3% w.e.f. 1/1/04, 2% w.e.f. 1/7/04 and 2% w.e.f. 1/12/04). The further increase of 1.5%, approved above, has also been applied with effect from 1st June 2005.

Allowances

Allowances in the nature of pay for staff, to whom this letter applies, may be increased by 1.5% with effect from 1 June 2005.

Part-Time Staff

The pay of part-time staff may be revised, in accordance with normal arrangements, by reference to the pay of whole time staff to which they are related for pay purposes.

Remuneration of Substitutes

In accordance with Agreed Report 4/80 of the Conciliation Council for Clerical and Administrative staff, revised rates of substitution allowances are approved, as follows:

Grades whose maximum salary exceeds the maximum salary of Assistant Principal: / Grades whose maximum salary does not exceed the maximum salary of Assistant Principal:

Acting Up

/

Dual Duties

/

Acting Up

/

Dual Duties

01/12/04 /

€1,156

/

€3,473

/

€1,251

/

€3,723

01/06/05 /

€1,173

/

€3,647

/

€1,270

/

€3,779

Pensions

Pensions in the course of payment on 31st May 2005 in respect of former Principal Officers and Assistant Principal Officers may be adjusted, as appropriate, in the normal way by reference to the revised pay scales as set out in the schedule to this Circular Letter.

General

Please provide a copy of this Circular Letter to staff members, as appropriate, in the normal way.

Any queries, at VEC level, regarding the implementation of this Circular Letter should be addressed to the Post Primary Administration office in Tullamore. (Tel: 0506-25406, Fax: 0506-25347).

J. Kelly

Post Primary.

e-mail:

Circular F32/05 Salary Scales for Principal Officer and Assistant Principal Officer Grades in Vocational Educational Committees with effect from 1 June, 2005
Salary scales for Principal and
Assistant Principal Officers in V.E.C.s
-
Grade / 1/12/04 / 1/6/05
-
Principal Officer / € 73,550 / € 76,660
€ 76,412 / € 79,644
€ 79,275 / € 82,628
€ 82,139 / € 85,612
€ 85,001 / € 88,597
LSI 1 / € 87,670 / € 91,378
LSI 2 / € 90,432 / € 94,258
1/12/04 / 1/6/05
Assistant / € 59,448 / € 62,226
Principal Officer / € 60,857 / € 63,700
€ 62,267 / € 65,177
€ 63,677 / € 66,652
€ 65,087 / € 68,129
€ 66,498 / € 69,606
€ 68,238 / € 71,428
LSI 1 / € 70,321 / € 73,606
LSI 2 / € 72,405 / € 75,788